Golden age of Hollywood on display at the Hope with classic 'The Pirate'

Judy Garland and Gene Kelly filmed a song-and-dance number called "Voodoo" for their 1948 film, "The Pirate," that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer chief Louis B. Mayer found so explicitly sexy and offensive he not only had the song cut from the film but had the negative burned.

Judy Garland and Gene Kelly filmed a song-and-dance number called "Voodoo" for their 1948 film, "The Pirate," that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer chief Louis B. Mayer found so explicitly sexy and offensive he not only had the song cut from the film but had the negative burned.

The rest of the sweeping musical survives, though, and plays at the Bob Hope Theatre today as part of the Friends of the Fox Classic Cinema series.

"The Pirate" is the second of three films Garland and Kelly made together, between 1942's "For Me and My Gal" and 1950's Summer Stock."

"It's actually a really good movie of that era, the MGM super musicals, super productions of the late 1940s," said Tom Conner, one of the "friends" selection committee. "That was considered the golden age of Hollywood and MGM. This is a beautiful movie: great music by Cole Porter, great dancing by Gene Kelly, great singing by Judy Garland and a great setting."

The show takes place in the Caribbean in the 1830s. Garland plays Manuela, whose aunt and uncle have arranged for her to marry Don Pedro Vargas (Walter Slezak), the new mayor of the town. Manuela's love is for the notorious Macoco, a "ruthless, magnificent and romantic" pirate. On a trip to the island of San Sebastian with her aunt, Manuela watches Serafin (Kelly) and his troupe perform. Serafin falls in love with Manuela, but her heart is set on Macoco. To win her over, Serafin claims to be Macoco, and she agrees to elope with him. Vargas, the real Macoco, now old and fat, has Serafin arrested for his crimes. Serafin is to be hanged, but Manuela pleads for the man she loves and tells of his great exploits. Vargas, enraged that Serafin should be credited with his deeds, confesses to being the real Macoco, paving the way for the young lovers to be together.

"It's not one of Judy Garland's most famous pictures, not as well known as 'Meet Me in St. Louis,' " Conner said. "If you're a hard-core Judy Garland fan, you know it well and love it. I've always loved it. It's always been one of my personal favorites of hers."

Some of Kelly's fans consider it his best, too. Internet chatters call it his sexiest role and others note it's one of his most challenging dance films.

The movie was a financial failure when it was released, losing $2 million.

"I don't know why it wasn't received well," Conner said. "It had all the makings of the great MGM musicals: Technicolor, stars, music, the right formula."

"The Pirate" was directed by Vincent Minelli, who was married to Garland at the time and also directed her in "Meet Me in St. Louis."

Cole Porter wrote the music, including "Be a Clown," which was later all but copied as "Make 'Em Laugh" for "Singing in the Rain." The number features the dancing of the famed Nicholas Brothers, Fayard and Harold, whom both Kelly and Garland fought to have in the film. When it was originally released, some southern U.S. cities cut the scene because of the presence of the black dancers.

It's in the version that Friends of the Fox will screen, though, in all its Technicolor glory.